Method of shaping glass.



PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

F. L. 0. WADSWORTH. METHOD OF SHAPING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 1905.

I. L. 0. WADSWURTH.

METHOD 0F SHAPING GLASS. q

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 1o, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

instaan sfrafr is .Spmincaton of Letters Patent.

` Patenten sept. 5, isos.V

Applicnruu led June l0, 1903. Serial No, lihrl..

outline than have been produced heretofore on articles pressed or molded in the ordinary Way and also to control the glass during and .after its shaping in the molding or rolling apparatus.

1n the ordinary methods of rolling and .pressing glass it. frequently happens that small bubbles of air and particles of dust and other foreign substances are trapped between the molding-surface and the glass, and although they may be small they produce irregularities of surface which mar 'the glass and prevent it from taking the form desired. Like defects are produced by gz which are liberated from the hot surface of the mold or rolling apparatus.

My invention avoids these diilicnlties by creating a vacuum between the and the molding or rolling surface .and withdrawing' the gases and particles of dust, so that the glass comes into perfect con tact with the molding or rolling` apparatus and perfectly clean A bright surface is produced.

My invention is applicable to glass-molds and glass-rolling apparatus of many forms. The forms shown in the drawings illustrate lthe principle of the invention'and will enab those skilled in the artto apply it in the man. ufacture of many kinds of glass articles.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a glass-press equipped with means for the practice of my invention. Fig.

' 2 is a vertical section of the mold on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of glass- I rolling apparatus adapted to the practice of my invention. Fig. 4: is a sectional view 4oi' part of the ta-ble and of the roll on a larger scale. .Fig. is a longitudinal section of other rolling apparatus for rolling prism-glass with theV use, of n'iy invention. Fig. l) is a crosssection of part of the table of Fig. 5, showing the grooved rollin elevation. Fig. 7 is In Figs. 1 and 2 l. show my invention as apn plied to the manul'acture of hollow pressedglass articles. 2 is the mold, whose interior has the sli-ape desired for the iinished article. and is formed with a pattern tohe impressed on the glass. Airpassages t lead from its interior surface to an exterior chamber 4. 3is the plunger, and "5 is a piston which enters the chamber 4; and is provided with suitable surface packing' rihe chamber 4 is preferabl y constituted by a metal ring 6, which is seated on the base of the mold, being provided with suitable air-tight packing 7. The mold 2 may be made of hinged sections, which are closed tightly together when they are surrounded by the piston and ring 6. rfhe piston 5 is carried by i head 8, having standards 9 connected by a cross-head l() and links ll to a crank 12. A second crank 13 is set on the shaft of the crank 1i., preferably at ninety degrees therefrom. and is` connected by a link la to the stein 3 ofthe plunger 3. The piston 5 is traversed by air-'passages whichllead from an air-chamber at the Lipper end of the..

piston and are eoniuictcd thereby to the pipe 16 of suitable air-exhausting apparatus. (Not shown.) The plunger 3 may also be provided with piston and ainpassages alike those of the mold, shown in Fig. 9. the stem 3.

insuch case being hollow and connected with air-exhausting apparatus. r l

In operating the device shown in Figs. l and Qthe ring 6 is placed around the mold, so-as to form the chamber and the cranks 12 and 13 are set in the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the piston 5 is brought to i'ts lowest position in the chamber t whine the plunger 3 is still elevated. A gathering' lof glass-is' then placed in the mold and the cranks operated in the direction shown by the arrow. AS the plunger descends into the mold the piston 5 simultaneously rises, successively uncovering the openings a.. 'piston and the air-exhausting apparatus' '18 maintained during this operation. so that as the glass is pressed within the mold the rising ofthe piston creates a vacuum betweenthe glass and the mold, exhausts therefrom allair,

',lhc connection between. theV l into an intimate and o'f dust, as above eX-. vthe glass to be forced perfect contactwith the mold. When the plunger 3 has reached the end of its downstroke, the. piston will have reached the top of the mold, 'and then as the rotation ofthe cranks is continued both the piston and the plunger rise, and during the next ninety degrees of the travel of the crank 12 hangers 17 on the head 8 engage the ring 6 and lift it from the mold, leaving the latter /free to be opened for the removal of the glass` gases, and particles plained, and permits article.

. position,

' position.-

l Nhen it is .desired to apply my invention to the shaping of the interior of the article, the plunger is made hollow and connected with the air-exhausting apparatus, as above explained. A

1n Figs. 3 and 4 I show my invention applied to the rolling of glass sheets having a figured under face.` 18 is the roll, and 19 is a table which may be set in an'inclined as shown. and is adapted, to vtravel beneath the roll.. The table has vacuumchamber 20, provided with openings 21, eX- tending to the front surface. 22 is a piston whose hollow stem 23 is connected to airexhaustingr apparatus and `communicates by openings 245 with 'the vacuum-chamber. The tablemoves longitudinally in suitable slideways and in Fig. 3 is shown in the middle l/Vhen the table is in its initial a body of glass 25 is placed and the table is elevated position, upon it -in front of the roll,

then caused to move in the direction of the arrow. As it travels under theroll the glass is iiattened into sheet forni, being pressed by the roll into the figured surface of the table, and the air-openings 21 are successively uncovered by the piston and put into communication with the vacuum-chamber 20, so that as the glass sheet`is formed it 'is at once-sub-` jected to the action of the vacuum, which re moves intervening gases, air, or solid particles. The sheet is maintained by atmospheric pressure'in contactwith the table until the glass is set.

1n all the modifications of 'my invention the glass is subjected to a difference of pneumatic pressure on its opposite faces and is thus pressed pneumatically simultaneously with the pressing which is effected by the surfaces of the rolls or plungers..

1n Figs. 5 a'nd (i l. show therapparatus adapted to roll ligured glass sheets, the figured pattern being in this case upon the roll and being thus applied to the upper surface of the sheet. 1n these figures, 26 is the table, which is adapted to niovein the direction of the arrow. 27 isa hollow forming-rollvinounted above the table, and 2, and 30 are guiderollers for the glass sheet. Within the hollow roll is a stationary box 31, having' its `Aends in v conveying-belt isconnected lat 3.3 with air-exhausting apparatus, and itfconstitutes 'with-in theJ roll a chamber occupying about one-quarter of the circumference of the roll, in which a partial vacuum ismaintained during the rolling operation. The mass of glass 25 to be rolledis placed on the table 26 back ofthe roll.l and as the table advances it 4is pressed thereby against the figured surface of the roll and assumes the form of a sheet, which is carried bythe roll and by the guide-rollers'onto a 34 and thence to the annealing-furnace. As-tbe sheet is being formed it is subjected to the vacuum within the chamber 31 and the air-pressure on the opposite side.

ofthe chamber holds it in contact with the roll until it has passed beyond the box 3 1 and has been engaged by the guiding-roller 30.V

provided with packing material 32. This box'.

This enables me to lift' the'ysheet 'from the table as it isformed and to carry it upward. ln Figs. 7 and 8 I show my invention adapted to the forming of glass sheets by the action- -of two rolls between which 'glass ,is passed.

One of these rolls 27' 1s constructed in like manneras the roll 27 lar interior parts which I haveinarked with like refelence-guresg-v distinguished by the prime-mark C). between the roll 27 and a second forming-roll 35 and is rolled thereby into a sheet, which as it is formed is face of the roller 27 same by airpressure until the surface of a receiving-table Bti. This ta-` ble may travel in the direction of the arrow and may be constructed like the'table shown in Fig. 3, so thatas the glass is deposited upon it it will be dra-wn down and iiattened perfectly into sheet form.

The advantages of iny'irvention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. It produces molded or rolled' surface than has been possible heretofore. and

' the facility which it aords for vtheihandling v of the product in the machine is of importance. I claimf I; 1. The method of forming glass articles by compressing the material between surfaces and simultaneouslycreating a vacuum between the compressing-surface andthe formed substantially as cleof dies, and at the .3. The metlmil of-forming glass articles by compresslngthe material between surfaces of Fig. 5 and with simi- ,Y

by the air-pressurey Thebody of glass 25 is placed drawn closely against the sur. and is held against the# itis delivered upon glass articles of finer` IIO forming the surface of the z 'air or gases from substantially aslden i" tween the compressing-surface and the glass substantially as described.

. 798,642 l 8 and simultaneously creating a vacuum be faees, and thus compressingit pneumatially; l

IO and maintaining the vacuum until, the glass In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set has `set; substantially as described. l myhand.

5 4. The method of forming glass articles by FRANK L. O. WADSWORTH.

compressing-the material .between surfaces, Witnesses: and simultaneously subjecting it to a dier- JOHN MILLER,

` lence of pneumatic pressure on its opposite .H. M. CORWIN. 

